The theory of sneezing into one’s arm or elbow would be an
example of a cultural norm. More specifically, it would fall under the category
of a folkway because although it is the “way of the road”, if you do not do it,
you won’t get arrested. You may get some dirty looks or some smart comments,
but you are not breaking a law by not following the folkway. Each society has
different folkways and norms. Somewhere else in the country, it may be
perfectly acceptable to sneeze out in the open exposing everybody to your
germs. When you discover this, you may experience culture shock which is disorientation
caused by a difference in norms. It will be totally strange to see everyone
sneezing on their friends, but that is just how the other culture functions.
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